Ivara whispered to her so closely that Saya could feel the woman’s breath tickling her ear. “Worry not; the other knights won’t hear this level of sound from their rooms. They’ve been placed a little farther away, after all. Come now.”
Saya nodded and hopped out of the window. Her room was on the first floor. The ground outside the window was soft. Ivara jumped nimbly through the window after her, then went ahead of Saya and gave her a slight nod. Saya took it to mean “this way,” and she nodded back.
Ivara broke into a run, and Saya ran after her. Thanks to the soft ground beneath their feet, Saya’s footsteps were nearly as quiet as Ivara’s. Their silhouettes seemed to glide through the darkness.
When they reached the edge of the village, Ivara finally spoke up. “It should be all right for us to speak after coming this far.”
“Thank you, but... why?”
“I wonder?”
Ivara smiled. For some reason, this expression made Saya feel extremely uneasy. She could only think of a single reason for Ivara to help her.
“Did Kyou order this?”
“Call him your liege lord,” Ivara snapped, her smile vanishing in an instant. “Even if you share his blood, you cannot compare to the Sovereign. Your attitude toward our liege is far too casual.”
Right then, Saya’s fight-or-flight instinct kicked in. She had to get away. This woman before her was way too dangerous.
“Excitation: Blood Claws.”
Red claws extended from Ivara’s fingertips—this was her blood caliber. The blades were thin and about the same length as a butcher knife.
“You must be made to know of the Sovereign’s greatness, and of his nobility. He is the one who supports this very world. Alas, how heavy is the burden on his delicate shoulders?”
Ivara’s voice dripped with ecstasy, as though she were whispering of her intimate love. She was unhinged. Regardless, Saya was unable to get away from her. She couldn’t even take her eyes off Ivara. It was as if she had been cursed in some way.
“Those who threaten the Sovereign’s place cannot be allowed to exist. Everyone must be made to understand that—including you and your foolish supporters.”
Her deranged eyes locked on to Saya. The chill running down her spine caused Saya to shout, “Jubilia!”
“It’s useless. That knight won’t come for you,” Ivara said with a giggle. “If I deliver your head to Granapalt or the like, those imbeciles who defy the Sovereign will surely realize their stupidity. But that isn’t enough. You can’t die without knowing the splendor of the Sovereign. That would be unforgivable.”
One of Ivara’s claws brushed against Saya’s cheek. She kept her strength perfectly under control, slicing only a single layer of Saya’s skin.
“I’ll teach your body all about the Sovereign’s majesty.”
With a grin plastered on her face, Ivara rammed an index finger through Saya’s palm. Saya let out a scream from the intense pain.
“What a beautiful voice. This is nothing, however. The crime you committed cannot be forgiven so easily. Now then, what to do? Perhaps I’ll take these beautiful fingers of yours and tear them apart one knuckle at a time. Aah, but that won’t do. It must be slower... Yes, first I’ll insert this beneath your nails.”
Ivara reshaped her claws into needlelike shapes and put them on display in front of Saya.
“Did you know that the fingers are some of the most sensitive parts in the entire body? Even a grown man would cry and beg for mercy if he experienced such punishment. But please, be at ease. I have honed this skill for over a hundred years. I’m well versed in the best way to do it. Cry out beautifully for me, okay?”
Ivara’s voice was rapturous as she imagined the scene to come, and she shuddered delightedly at the thought. The pain had released Saya from her curse, so she turned around and ran back toward the village.
“How foolish.”
Ivara caught up to Saya in two simple strides. Her speed rivaled—no, surpassed—Jubilia’s. Now standing next to Saya, Ivara stabbed a claw into Saya’s thigh.
“Let’s make it so you can’t run away, shall we? If you try to run again, I’ll cut it off.”
Saya collapsed with a screech, and Ivara laughed.
“You really don’t understand, do you? Your only choice here is to die. Aah, I see now; you lack all common sense.”
Ivara explained things with composure as Saya lay there on the ground.
“Those wounds won’t heal so easily. They’re wrought by a blood caliber, after all. Normally, you would heal in a couple of days, but unfortunately for you, you won’t be alive by then.”
Ivara held up the claw on her index finger and flicked it over Saya’s shoulder. The sharp blade of blood cut the strap of Saya’s dress.
“Repent,” Ivara whispered, using the same sweet voice she had used when she’d lured Saya out.
She then thrust the claw into Saya’s shoulder.
Saya shrieked. The intense pain sent tears flooding down her cheeks. Nevertheless, Saya didn’t lose consciousness; Ivara was making sure of that. She planned on inflicting continuous pain while keeping her just on the verge of consciousness. After that, she intended to kill Saya.
Ivara was far too fast; Saya couldn’t escape her grasp. Still, she didn’t give up. The only thing she was capable of right now was buying time. If she could stall long enough, Jubilia might notice her missing. Fortunately, they were still at the edge of the village. If Jubilia noticed, help was sure to come.
Jubilia woke up from her light sleep. She had ended up in a separate room from Saya because of Ivara and Gozo. Regardless, leaving that girl alone for the night was unforgivable. Thus, Jubilia intended to check in on Saya frequently. It wasn’t only because this was the duty assigned to her—before she knew it, Jubilia had begun to harbor feelings of kindness toward this mysterious girl said to be the Sovereign’s older sister.
At first, their relationship had been that of pursuer and pursued. After that, she had taken up post as her guard, keeping an eye on her. Now, she truly wanted to protect the girl. Saya was far too defenseless and desperate. Jubilia believed that she wanted to at least be her ally within the royal palace. She deeply regretted her inability to keep Saya out of danger.
“Where are you going?” a voice said as she came out of her room.